1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the coiling of a substantially continuous length of textile material, hereinafter generically referred to as thread, such as for example yarn, sliver and the like, made of wool, cotton, synthetic fibers or any other suitable material. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for collecting a coreless coiled thread package having a central hollow bore, said package being produced by a suitable coiler device of any type known in the art.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art there are known apparatuses for collecting a coiled thread package produced by any suitable thread depositing device, or coiler head. An apparatus of this kind is for example illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,738 (WILKIE) where the collecting or receiving plate or disc, which must be constantly elastically urged upwardly towards the coiler head, is sustained during its vertical movement inside the collecting can (upwardly and downwardly) by at least three cords anchored at one end at three angularly equispaced points of the periphery of said receiving disc (or suitable supporting means for said disc), and the said cords, after having being passed over corresponding pulleys arranged in correspondence of the outer periphery of the top of the can, are fastened at their other end to spring urged devices (such as grooved drums) which tend to pull the said cords, thus maintaining the receiving disc elastically urged upwardly.
According to French Pat. No. 2,035,240 (DAIWA) the receiving or collecting disc is supported by a plate which is elastically urged upwardly by means of a helical spring having substantially a diameter which is equal to the inner diameter of the collecting can.
The disadvantages of the above mentioned devices can be briefly summarized as follows: firstly, both devices need an outer structure, such as a can, for the provision thereonto of the means for elastically urging upwardly the receiving disc (U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,738), or for guiding and protecting said means and the receiving disc during their vertical displacement (French Pat. No. 2,035,240); secondly, during the coiling and deposition of the thread onto the receiving disc by the depositing or coiler head, it may happen that, due to some malfunctioning of the said coiler head, the formation of the layers is disturbed by the possibility that some lengths of thread occupy the central section of the thread package being formed, which should be coreless and present precisely a hollow central bore, for the insertion of suitable devices such as dyeing candles, and which should be absolutely free and unobstructed; eventually, and particularly in the case of the device disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,738, where the elastic support of the receiving disc is obtained by means of several separate devices acting on the periphery of the disc, any malfunctioning, such as a jamming or locking of one these devices, will produce the tilting of the receiving disc, and therefore spoil the formation of the package.